The invention relates to an optical disc player for discs having optically encoded information and comprising: a housing; a drive motor having a rotatable spindle with a free end; disc-supporting means on the spindle for supporting a record disc thereon in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the spindle; an optical reading device having an optical read head which is movable over the surface of the disc on the spindle and reads the information on the disc by means of a light beam; and a carriage for the drive motor, which carriage is movable between a first position inside the housing, in which position the disc on the spindle can be read by means of the optical read head, and a second position in which the carriage projects from the housing and a disc can be placed on the spindle and removed from the spindle.
Such optical disc players are marketed in, for example, the form of optical audio disc players in several models. During playing of a record disc, the reading device is very near the disc and is always kept in its correct position by means of an electronic servomechanism. It is of prime importance that the spatial position of the spindle on which the disc is placed is determined very accurately relative to the optical reading device. Sometimes the movable optical read head is supported by a swinging arm, for example in the optical disc player disclosed in European patent application No. 0074131 to which U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,316 corresponds (hereby incorporated by reference). The optical read head may alternatively be carried by a slide capable of translation in the radial direction.
It is highly desirable that the disc placed on the spindle rotates in a plane which is accurately parallel to the plane in which the optical read head is moved over the surface of the disc by the optical reading device. With the above-mentioned prior art optical disc player not only the drive motor but also the complete optical reading device is moved outwards with the carriage. This has the advantage that the drive motor and the optical reading device can be arranged on the same portion of the disc player in mutually accurately aligned positions. It has, however, the disadvantage that the sensitive optical reading drive has to be moved to the exterior of the housing, where it may be damaged by external influences. In addition, a rather large number of flexible connections must be provided between the optical reading device and the electronic circuits cooperating therewith which are in a fixed position in the housing of the optical disc player.
Optical disc players are known which deviate from the construction described in the opening paragraph and in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are obviated by arranging both the drive motor and the optical reading device in a fixed position in the housing. To enable a disc to be placed on the player a transfer means on which the disc can be placed is moved outwards. Thereafter the transfer means is moved inwards and placed on the spindle of the drive motor by a mechanism incorporated in the housing of the disc player. This requires an additional mechanism in the housing for transferring the disc to the spindle of the drive motor. Also, extra space in the housing is required for moving the disc up and down.